Coaches Report: League & Reserves – Round 13

SANFL – Round 13

West Adelaide (10.9.69) Vs Woodville-West Torrens (7.14.56)

Following wins in our U16 and U18s matches , and a convincing win in the reserves, a13-point win over Woodville West Torrens at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval was reward-for-effort for our playing group and club.

A 3-goal to 2-goal opening term was set up on the back of some relentless contested work, leading tackle and contested possession in the first quarter. Wingman Charlie Haysman (10 disposals, 4 marks, 2 goals) took a mark inside F50 and converted to kick the opening goal of the game and defenders Jonti Schuback (21 disposals, 6 marks, 3 R50), Tom Morrish (23 disposals, 12 R50) and Will Patton (16 disposals, 11 marks, 7 R50) started to control the game by foot. Lachie Squire (29 disposals, 10 I50), Brady Searle and Koby Ryan continued to create opportunities for our forwards, unlocking opportunities for Ned Stevens to kick two important goals. To Woodville’s credit, they found ways to generate their own scoring chances to reduce our lead to 1 goal at the first break.

In a dominant second quarter, we managed to sustain a front-half brand of football, generating 17 I50s to 5. Goals from our midfield reflected our ability to win the ball in congestion and go forward, as Searle (17 disposals, 4 marks, 5 I50, 1 goal), May (15 disposals, 19 hitouts, 8 tackles, 1 goal), Johnson (15 disposals, 1 goal) and McCormick (12 disposals, 4 tackles, 1 goal) all kicked majors. In his best game for the club, recruit Harvey Griffiths (16 disposals, 1 goal) also kicked truly from 50 to take a five-goal advantage into the main break.

We expected the Eagles to respond after half time, and they did with a 4-goal to 1-goal term. Defensive efforts from Schuback, White (19 disposals, 4 tackles, 4 R50, 4 I50) and the ever-reliable Patterson (14 disposals, 6 marks) held strong, but some turnovers allowed the Eagles to reduce the margin to 10-points heading into the final break.

The final quarter was characterised by resilience and growth for our group. Gun midfielder Kobe Ryan was hampered by a knee injury and key back Cooper Patterson sustained an ankle injury as Woodville continued to press. Against the tide, a long-range goal from Jesse Thackeray extended the margin, putting us a step closer to victory.  Symbolic of our team’s development, a crucial one-on-one battle in the final stages of the game saw debutant Hamish Dow gather a loose ball in D50 and hit up emerging ruckman Caleb May to steady the match – a glimpse into the future for our club.

From a personal point of view, and regardless of the result, there continues to be signs that we are developing our game style and method. The win reflects weeks and months hard work for our club and provides us with some belief to continue our work through the rigors of SANFL footy.

We turn our attention to a red-hot Crows outfit and look forward to taking another step forward in our development. Stay the course members, supporters, and fans – we are far from a finished product but we are all in.

Best players: Lachlan Squire, Caleb May, William Patton, Jonti Schuback, Ned Stevens, Brady Searle, Cooper Patterson.

Goals: Charlie Haysman (2), Ned Stevens (2), Harvey Griffiths (1), Isaac Johnson (1), Caleb May (1), Dylan Mccormick (1), Brady Searle (1), Jesse Thackeray (1)

SANFL Reserves – Round 13

West Adelaide (9.15.69) Vs Woodville West-Torrens (7.3.45)

After a competitive showing last week, the group came together with a clear sense of purpose and hunger to continue playing our brand of football. With the challenge against Woodville ahead, the focus was celebrating everything we do together – whether it be the big moments or the small efforts. Credit to the boys, they fully embraced this mindset and brought genuine energy and connection into the game.

Our key objectives were clear; 20+ tackles per quarter, 10+ inside 50s each quarter, and win the contested ball. We believed that if we met these targets, we’d be right in the contest by three quarter time.

We came out strong in the first quarter, winning the contest early (+3 contested possession) and controlling the outside game (+1 uncontested mark). We created plenty of forward opportunities with 16 inside 50s, noting that our method going inside could have been more efficient. Midfielder Jed Obst led from the front with a standout first term, finishing the game 24 disposals, 6 clearances, and 4 inside 50s. At the break the communication was clear, we were executing our game plan across the board but needed more composure and polish moving forward.

In the second quarter the group elevated their performance, showing far more poise and control with the ball. We saw a significant improvement in our ball use with +14 uncontested marks and +16 inside 50s. We outscored Woodville three goals to one, building strong momentum. Our Captain Finn Higham led by example with a best on ground performance with 21 disposals, 2 goals, 4 tackles and 6 inside 50s – his leadership and intensity lifted the entire group.

At halftime we reinforced a simple message, stick to our processes. As expected, Woodville came out hard, dominating the early stages of the third quarter. To our backlines credit, we absorbed the pressure, fought at every contest, and limited them to just one goal for the term. A highlight was a classy goal from U18 talent Aquel Rankine, who continues to show promise with 9 disposals, 1 goal, and 4 tackles. We entered the final break with a 17-point lead.

Heading into the last quarter, the challenge was to demonstrate the maturity and growth we’ve spoken about all season and control the final stages of the game. We came out firing, kicking the first two goals. From there, our experienced players ensured we stayed composed and managed the clock. Judd Hansen played a crucial role in locking down the game, having a strong performance with 25 disposals, 1 goal, 5 tackles, and 2 clearances.

The most rewarding aspect from a coaches point of view was seeing a complete four-quarter performance. The maturity and development of this group is clear, and the data reflects our growth:

• Contested possessions +6
• Uncontested marks +22
• Tackles +4
• Inside 50s +34

We’re aware that we are still evolving and far from the finished product, but we also known that when we stick to our processes and play the style of football we’re capable of, these are the outcomes we can expect. We now shift our focus to preparing for North Adelaide next Sunday.

Ben Hardy – Interim Coach

Goals

Finn Higham (2)

Joel Parker (2)

Jonty Koehne

Rhys Mooney

Judd Hansen

Lachlan Tredwell

Aquel Rankine

Best Players: Finn Higham, Jed Obst, Judd Hansen